Black Reflection
by Luchia13
Summary: Heero, stuck in his own private hell, is saved when a mysterious boy drops into his life...repeatedly. Say hello to Duo, the mysterious guardian angel. AU, 1x2x1 and others. DARK.
1. Breaking the Glass

If this story looks familiar, it's because I'm re-posting it under my REAL account. Yes, I am "RandomPants". I apologize for any confusion this may cause; I've been editing chapter 2 like crazy, and I wanted to put up the BETTER version, and I'm too lazy to go be RandomPants anymore, so...yeah. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: The boys (or girls) aren't mine; and please, don't get angry with me for anything concerning this (AU, remember?).

Warnings: Yaoi, dark stuff, as in suicide, drugs, child abuse and the like, and AU as stated previously. This is NOT meant to be angst, either. Invoke compassion, yes, invoke pity, no. Got it? Great!

SUPER DUPER thanks to my betas, Mistress Koishii and Mlaine! They're spectacular!

_Black Reflection_

Chapter 1

Breaking the Glass

Heero was thirteen and about to slit his wrist again when the boy crashed through his skylight.

Well, maybe that's not the place to start. The beginning was probably when J killed Heero's parents, seven years before. That's most likely the best place to start. It will clarify things better.

He was six when his Uncle J took a revolver and blew out his mother and father's brains. At the time, Heero had been in school, silently enjoying the first grade and his bright green finger-painting project. When he came home, he was swarmed by the clicking cameras of the press since he was the only offspring of the double homicide victims; J had played the protective uncle. During the trial, J had been found innocent, and was quietly given custody of his dear nephew, Heero Yuy.

That was when the murderer had started "training" him. Centralized around sensory depravation, Heero was given rice and soup every day, and lived in a cream colored, windowless room with a constant temperature. It did have a skylight, which showed the flickering night sky to him as he lay on his plain white bed, but there was no chance to meet other children. He was alone. J would come in through the locked door and teach him or beat him on random days. Every day, Heero was taught how to kill.

Time went on. Heero Yuy, on paperwork, was home schooled by his Uncle J, as his guardian said he didn't trust the public and private systems that had failed his nephew's parents. In reality, J wasn't even his real uncle, and the man was using his ward as a long-term science experiment.

Eventually, he forgot how to paint. He forgot colors, and music, and laughter. But the shadow of them remained in his soul. J came to trust the boy's expressionless, stony face and left the weapons in Heero's cream and white room for extra practice. And he practiced extra.

Then, Heero had a dream, and realized he didn't know how old he was. He'd asked his uncle, whose emotionless eyes looked him over like the experiment he was.

"I thought we'd gone over this before," J had said. When Heero shook his head, the man nodded. "Very well. You're thirteen. The lesson's over." With that, J walked out the door, locking it behind him.

Heero had stared at the dazzling sun coming through the skylight for a long time after that. Thirteen. His brain translated it into every language he knew so far; Arabic, Italian, Japanese, English, Chinese, German… the list went on. How many thirteen-year-olds were fluent in several languages? What were other children his age like? _Was_ he a child?

Heero had never seen a thirteen year old before.

It came to him that, in all his years, never had he achieved anything. He was barricaded inside his cell, the whispers of blue and red and green touching his soul. Every day, his shirt was white and his pants were khaki. He'd had dreams of something called pizza. And through it all, he'd just survived, not knowing there was another way out than through the eternally locked door.

What was it like to die?

Without a second thought, Heero grabbed one of the daggers and sliced his wrist expertly, to be astonished at the shade of the liquid coming out. Excited, he'd bandaged his wrist and hid it from J.

He'd been doing this for two months now, opening and closing the wound to see the crimson liquid, which his brain called red blood, spill out of his skin. It wasn't beige. It wasn't white. It was…beautiful.

So, every fifth night, Heero rolled up his shirt sleeve, a knife in his right hand. He was too excited to notice the loud _thunk_ on the roof.

But when the skylight crashed down, a screaming boy falling with the shattered glass, Heero noticed. The knife went flying into the wall next to his bed, barely missing the flying figure that landed, moaning and bloody, on his white mattress. Heero cursed in his brain. Miscalculated for speed again. He needed more practice.

"Unnngh…" the boy moaned, and Heero, fascinated by the red now on his sheets, approached. Curious, he noticed the boy's clothes were… black, his brain called it. It was the darkest thing he'd ever seen. His pursed lips were a pale pink, and his hair was a long, chestnut rope, shards of glass embedded within. Heero pulled out a piece, and noticed the gold and red glints in the braid.

Heero was confused. How had someone just dropped onto his roof and crashed through his window? And where was he anyway? Heero had no idea where his room was located. Was this one of J's tests? Was he supposed to kill the black-clad boy? His brain reasoned the best way to find out would be to ask.

"Hey," Heero said, and the boy's body shivered. He pulled out some more glass from the boy's clothing and hair. When he realized there was some glass in the boy's skin, Heero pulled him off the mattress and onto the floor, pulling out the slivers. "Hey. What are you doing here?" The boy only whimpered more, eyes shut tightly.

Heero pulled the boy's shirt off and pulled the glass out from his back, noticing absentmindedly a silver cross hanging around his neck. When the boy began to bleed more and the glass was out, Heero pulled off his own shirt, ripped it, and bandaged the slender kid. After that, he took care of the boy's legs, which had considerably messed-up scars on the ankles. Luckily, the boy's black sneakers had stopped the glass from getting into his feet.

When that was done, he stared at the intruder, who was shivering. Heero frowned. His room was at a constant 68 degrees Fahrenheit, so it could be the temperature. He pulled the sheets off the bed, rolled them up, and placed them in the garbage can. After putting new sheets on the mattress, he dropped the boy on the bed unceremoniously and covered him with the blankets. Heero, in all honesty, had no idea what to do now, so he retrieved his dagger from the wall and put it back on the weapons shelf, staring at the shivering figure.

What was he supposed to do now? Heero frowned. J wouldn't be back tomorrow (it was one of the reasons he always chose this night to slit his wrist), so it looked like the boy would be staying the night, and possibly the next day. He was too confused to think straight. A boy had crashed through his skylight, and was now shivering in his bed.

Being practical, Heero grabbed a blanket and curled up on the floor, asleep within seconds.

He woke up to the sound of angry muttering.

"…window breaking under my feet…stupid shitty caulking nowadays. Couldn't hold a cat," the voice grumbled, and Heero sat up to see the boy shaking his fist at the gaping hole in his ceiling. It was still night, and Heero was obscured by the foot of the bed.

"Hey," Heero said, and the shadowed boy jumped out of the bed in surprise.

"Holy shit, man, don't scare me like that," the boy began, but trailed off, his voice growing softer and softer. Eventually, he managed to clear his throat. "Eh…hiya. I just…er…"

"You fell through my window," Heero stated clearly and coolly, and rose from the floor, folding the blanket at the same time. "Why are you here?" The boy looked around uncomfortably, and his gaze soon latched onto the weapons rack along the wall.

"Whoa…into weapons, eh," the boy chuckled, looking over at Heero as he approached the case. "Pretty impressive. I haven't seen a knife this sexy in years." Heero looked at the boy, confused. What did sexy mean? It was obviously some sort of adjective, and assumably a flattering one… "Zoning out? Alrighty then! I'm one of the best at that." The boy stared at the wall. Heero was hopelessly confused. What was 'Zoning out'?

"Who are you," Heero asked, and the boy instantly snapped out of his catatonic state to smile at him.

"Call me Duo! I run, I hide, but I never lie," the boy said, and made to bow, but winced. "Eheheh…I'm in pain, too."

"That seems like a stupid thing to me, to not lie," Heero said. "Stupid, and dangerous."

"Hey, man, if you've got some way to shove me out, go ahead," Duo snapped. "I don't need to sit here and listen to this shit."

"Yes you do. You can't get back up to the window injured, and the door doesn't open," Heero stated. The boy's shadowed eyes flicked over to the handleless entrance in the wall. "You're trapped in here, just like me." The boy slumped back onto the bed, apparently from the pain of his wounds.

"Thanks for bandaging me," Duo said, and his hand crept up to the silver cross around his neck. "Sorry I broke your window."

"It's better that way," Heero said, and walked towards the bathroom. He felt like taking a shower.

"Hey, wait! You're just gonna leave me in here," the boy asked, and Heero turned towards the confusing entity lounging on his bed.

"You want to take a shower with me?" Heero asked, perplexed by the boy. Why would anyone want to take a shower with him? The braided boy blushed.

"You're nasty," he grumbled. "No, I just don't want to get killed when your parents come in or something. I'm not exactly looking forward to death, ya know? Not yet, at least." Heero tilted his head to the side.

"Duo, you're weird," he said, and after grabbing some clothes walked into his bathroom and took his shower. When he returned, the boy was climbing back into his ripped black pants. "Want a new pair of pants?"

"Gaaah," Duo yelled in surprise, and fell onto the floor, barely catching himself. "What the hell is your problem? Scaring little kids like that…" the boy tilted his head to the side, giving Heero an appraising look. "How old are you, anyway? What's your name?"

"Heero. I'm 13," he replied, and Duo grinned.

"I'm 13 too! Cool," he yelled, obviously delighted, and Heero just stared at the other boy's upraised hand, just standing in the air for no reason he could think of. "Umm…not a high-five kind of guy?"

"High five? What's that," Heero asked, and Duo's mouth dropped open.

"You have been in this room waaay too long," he said, and put on his pants. "A high five's when you slap hands with someone. It's like a physical kind of hooray, I guess." Duo noticed his blank look on the word 'hooray'. "Happy moment?" Still nothing. "Alright, I was excited, right?" Heero nodded. "Well, excited is kind of like happy. Happy's when you're…pleased with something?" Duo scratched his head.

"I think I get it," Heero finally said. He watched the bandaged boy appraise his tattered black shirt. "I could give you a shirt." Duo shook his head.

"Nah. I'll be good," Duo shrugged. "So, what's up with the weapons?"

"What about them? I use them," Heero asked, confused. Was there something strange about having an assortment of firearms and knives, along with a few swords, in a bedroom? He voiced this opinion, and Duo shook his head again.

"You are one twisted kind of kinky," he said, drawing out the words that were foreign to Heero. "No, that's not normal. It's kind of illegal for you to have guns and shit at our age."

"I've had them for a while, though," Heero shrugged, and grabbed his favorite sword. Steel with a simple leather hilt, it had perfect balance, and he sharpened it weekly. "What knife did you want? The one you called… sexy, was it?" Duo was blushing again, and looked up at the fading stars to avoid discussion of his reaction.

"Ermm, yeah," Duo finally said, and moved towards the case. Immediately, he pulled out one of Heero's favorite knives. It was curved a bit, but the hilt continued opposite the arc, making a wave effect. Duo flicked it expertly in his hand. "It's really nice." Heero nodded.

"Take it when you leave, then," he shrugged. "I've got plenty. Actually, you should probably take the whole set." Heero reached in and pulled three identical knives from a drawer, along with four sheathes. Duo gaped at him.

"Wow! Remind me to break your window more often," he yelled, and shocked Heero by flinging his arms around the human experiment. "This is called a hug! It's what you do when you're really, really happy and want to thank someone when you don't have anything for them!" Duo was jumping around the room with him, laughing, and something snapped inside Heero. The braided boy didn't notice.

"I'm gonna take you to the ocean some time, and we'll go swimming, and then we can go use the knives," Duo was saying, jumping around laughing, until his silver cross whacked Heero in the nose. "Oh! Sorry." He started giggling, and pulled it off, grinning. "Here! I can give you my cross!" Heero eyed it doubtfully.

"What is it," he asked. "What's the ocean like? What are we going to use the knives on, anyway?" Duo shrugged, bouncing on Heero's bed. Apparently, he healed ridiculously fast.

"My cross? I got it from Sister Helen before she died. The ocean's really, really big. You really haven't left this room, have you? It's lots of water, and it comes in big waves onto a beach, which is lots of sand by the water. I don't know what we can use the knives on, but it'd be fun," Duo grinned. "Why don't you get out of here with me? If I can make it out bandaged and all that, you sure as hell can." Heero blinked at the excited boy.

"I…I don't know," he finally said. Heero suddenly frowned. "Why'd you fall through my skylight, anyway? What were you doing on the roof?"

"Running. So, wanna leave with me?" Duo asked, and for the first time, Heero noticed his eyes were a stunning violet- another color he'd never glimpsed before.

"The skylight's twenty feet up," Heero stated. "You can't get out." Duo smirked.

"Well, aren't you a pessimist. Wanna come, or no," he asked, and stopped bouncing by pulling into a tuck mid-air. Heero shook his head, brown hair curtaining his eyes.

"I can't. J would kill me. And you," he said, and sat back on the floor, Duo's cross clutched in his hand.

They were silent, staring through the glassless window to unreachable stars.

"I'll get you out," Duo finally said. "Seems pretty sucky to be stuck in a room all the time, with weapons for company." Heero didn't look over at the other boy, who yawned. "Go to sleep. You'll be out in a week, I guarantee it!" Silence ensued again.

"…Duo?" Heero's voice was almost quivering. It sounded like he was cold.

"Huh? Need something…Oh, shit, I'm still taking over your bed! Sorry," his voice came over, and the young figure in torn and frayed black clothing climbed off the bed, scratching his head. "It's your room, after all. Sorry, Heero." Heero sat motionless on the floor, blue eyes glazed as he stared through the hole in his ceiling.

"Are you an angel," he finally asked. It was one of the few things he remembered clearly from his life before the room. His mother had constantly spoken of beautiful creatures that fell from heaven to help those in need. Duo shook his head.

"Nah. Death, maybe, but not an angel," he said, and paused, eyes crinkled. "Are…are you?" Heero shook his head, and Duo shrugged, feeling foolish. "Well, get in the bed already, or I'm going to take over again." Heero frowned. That made no sense.

"It's big enough for two. You get one side, I get the other," Heero stated, and still fully-dressed climbed into one side of the bed.

"Why the hell are you so nice? You got plenty of reasons to just kill me," Duo asked, sliding into the other side. Heero's eyes were still intent on the night sky.

"I don't know what nice means. I'm polite, and logical," he stated, a verbal shrug-off. "If those two make 'nice', I guess I am." For the first time, Heero noticed how warm the bed was with someone else in it. Instinctively, he moved towards the source of the heat. His room was always less than tepid, including the bed.

"Well okay then," Duo murmured cheerily, and put his arms around the other boy. "You all right?"

"I'm warm," Heero stated, scooting closer to Duo.

"Warm's always good," Duo said, curling as close as possible with a yawn. "This is comfy. I've been sleeping on cots and concrete too long…" Heero didn't know what either of those were, and just remained silent, falling asleep with the stars in his eyes.

When he woke up, his arms were around a pillow, a rapidly cut smiley face beaming at him through the covers. Heero frowned, and looked around. Had it been a dream?

No, the skylight was broken, and, of all things, knife holes graced the wall closest to the opening. Clearly, the braided boy had used them to climb the vertical plane. There were occasional shards of glass glinting on the floor, and the weapons case looked ransacked, although only the four knives Heero had given freely were missing. Heero's sword was leaning against the wall, and the two ice picks Duo had used still hung on the ceiling.

And most importantly, Duo's silver cross hung around Heero's neck.

For most of the day, Heero lay in bed, staring up at the blue sky. For the first time in so long, he could hear birds up above, cooing. He could listen to the windy sky whistle past the rooftop. And, for the first time in seven years, he watched the light blue of morning fade to black without the glare of glass between them.

The arrival of the stars was interrupted when J entered the room, frowning.

"What happened," he asked, as close to yelling as Heero's Uncle ever got.

"A boy fell through my skylight," Heero stated, still in bed. J slapped him hard across the face, and as usual Heero took it without a sound. This seemed to make J even angrier, and he pulled the boy out of the bed, mechanical eyes shining malevolently.

That was possibly the worst beating he'd ever had, leaving him with broken ribs, bruises, and blood oozing down his body. But it could also have been the best, as the police took just that moment to barge in through the unlocked door after an anonymous tip.

As soon as J saw the guns aimed at him, he gave up. He went off without resisting arrest, just shooting one venomous glare at each and every officer. When J was officially "neutralized", the cops finally looked over at Heero. The first officer to say anything spoke one word.

"Shit."

"God, we gotta get him to a hospital, ASAP," another said, but paramedics soon flowed into the room, whirling over Heero's multiple injuries.

By now, of course, Heero was almost comatose, from both the injuries and being flung into a world of blue and red, black guns and gold badges. As the paramedics pulled him onto a stretcher, he didn't make a sound. It was only after he'd been taken out of the penthouse elevator, which traveled from Floor 32 and down to the ground floor, and wheeled out to the busy city streets swarmed with reporters behind yellow police tape that he made a noise.

"Duo," he muttered, catching the glint of chestnut and black out of the corner of his eye, and he fell unconscious.

x---x

A/N: To those who reviewed the original Black Reflection, I'd just like to thank you. I was actually doing an experiment for my psychology class (seriously, no joke) to see what sort of influence, if any, a name could have on the popularity of something. So, I pulled out my coddled, ever-tweaked, unfinishedlittle pet project (some of my best writing, to boot...) and posted it. And you all shone through. Thank you for proving me right...even though I got a B for the project.

Further information can be found by emailing me as luchia9293 at either yahoo or hotmail. Both will reach me. Thank you again!


	2. An Esoteric Mirror

**Version 2.6: Sept. 1st, 05** (You may not see the difference, but _I_ sure do…)

Warnings: Yaoi, suicide attempts, drugs, child abuse, and AU. Oh! Profanity, too…as always.

And yet again, a fond thank you to my magical betas, Mlaine and Mistress Koishii!

Also a thank you to my brother, the All-Knowing Car God, for helping me find Duo's baby.

Black Reflection 

Chapter 2

An Esoteric Mirror

Heero was seventeen and sitting in _Fate_, swigging his shots and just waiting to be thrown out into the snowy city streets like every night.

The rhythm of the club washed over him, shaking the floor with a melodic pounding. Like usual, he sat alone at his table, watching his friends dance as Wufei worked. The music cut him again with a sharp change, and he barely held back a grimace. He didn't come to this club for the music, that was certain.

It had been four years, now. Four years since he'd been freed of the Room, and still he remained broken. And Heero hated being broken. As long as he could remember, his well-being had depended upon his own fortitude, and now he was shattered on the floor, useless and normally too high to care that he had nothing left.

Once more, he glared at the dancing figures of Trowa and Quatre. They moved effortlessly together, following the beat in sync, eyes locked onto each other. It almost made him sick, although whether from envy or bitterness he neither knew nor cared. Of course, they were his best friends-not to mention his _only_ friends, save Wufei. And Duo.

Heero's hand immediately shot up to the silver cross that he wore religiously. The questions flooded into his head, as always. Had he been real? Was he really an angel? Where was he? Did he care? Had he forgotten him? Why had he been on the roof? He cut himself off with another shot of the cheap yet strong liquid. Nowadays, he didn't even bother to glance down and gage the hue.

As soon as Wufei's last deal was done, he fell into the chair facing Heero. His sleek black hair was pulled back tight, and the loose white pants he wore still didn't serve to cover much. Then again, Heero's own outfit wasn't exactly modest, consisting of blue jeans and a tight black shirt.

"Yuy," Wufei's voice rang out, and Heero's hazy blue eyes met Wufei's black. "You're holding your cross." He looked as if he were expecting a response. Heero didn't give him one. Instead, he pulled out his emaciated wallet.

"How much tonight?" Heero asked, and disgust plainly twitched the other boy's face. It only lasted for a moment, but his friend had obviously seen it.

"I'm not dealing to you, Yuy," Wufei said coldly. "I'm tired of seeing you thrown out every night, and especially knowing I'm not making money off it. Not to mention knowing _you're_ running out of money because of it." Heero glared at him.

"Hypocrite," he muttered, and stuffed his wallet back into his pocket.

"Just clean up," Wufei grumbled, and his eyes turned to the dancing couple. "For all of us, and yourself." Heero made an amused yet upset noise in his throat, and Wufei's eyes snapped back to the teenager. "You think it's funny? You're going to end up dying on the street, high and shot through the back by someone you couldn't pay. I've seen it before."

"Because you've done the shooting," Heero snapped, his voice cold and monotone at the same time. The music shifted to a darker tune, and the two stopped dancing, hands clasped tightly. That same queasy feeling began to surface.

"I don't see how you can wear a cross, and be you," Wufei muttered, looking at the silver pendant above Heero's shirt. "Why do you wear it, anyway? You're the least hopeful person I've ever met."

"The angel gave it to him," another voice said quietly, and Wufei looked up to see Trowa and Quatre taking the two remaining chairs. Wufei shrugged as Heero scowled at the taller boy. He was the only person who knew about Duo, and it was solely because they shared an apartment.

The two had both been emancipated at sixteen, and had decided to live together, since they'd been sharing a room in the foster home anyway. It was only after the fifth nightmare Trowa had asked, and it was after the sixth Heero had explained.

"It always starts with Duo," Heero had muttered into the muted darkness of their one-bedroom apartment. "He was an angel. He took me out of the Room, and away from J. And then, he left." Trowa had nodded.

"What happens in the nightmares?" he'd asked, emerald eyes shining in the distance.

"He comes, but only I go," Heero stated. It was the simplest way to phrase the dreams that followed him. It always began with Duo's fall through the window, and after that Duo would take him up through the roof, but J would catch them. Duo would die, and Heero would run from the scene, Duo's bloody cross thumping against his crisp white shirt.

Heero hadn't worn a white shirt or khaki pants since getting out of the Room.

"…an _angel_?" Wufei asked, incredulous. Trowa nodded, and Heero's glare intensified. Wufei's black eyes switched over to Heero's dark, clouded blue. "You really think an _angel_ gave you that cross? How high _were_ you?"

"Wufei! Shut up, you weren't there," Quatre snapped, his normally pleasant expression suddenly fiercely angry.

"And you were?" Wufei asked coldly. Quatre just glared back at him, but the drug dealer was too busy posing the same question to Trowa, who shrugged. The taller boy was a man of few words, but those he did say tended to speak volumes. "Heero, just think about it for a minute. You really think an angel would waste its time with you?"

"Shut up!" Heero snapped, this time loud. Wufei smirked, eyes glinting triumphantly.

"You're going to kill yourself, aren't you? You're going to die, believing something you know never happened," Wufei said, almost yelling, and Heero stood up. Wufei followed suit, hands clenching on the table's edge. "Get back to reality, Yuy! No stup-" Before the Chinese boy could say anything else, Heero slammed his fist into Wufei's jaw. With wide black eyes, the boy dropped to the floor with a thud.

Quatre and Trowa sighed disapprovingly, and the bouncer grabbed Heero's shirt.

"Don't ever come back here, kid," the bouncer yelled, two-foot-thick arms shoving Heero out the back door and slamming it shut.

He landed in the snowy alley with a small grunt, mouth clenched shut. He'd taken worse punishment from even the usually gentle Quatre. The snow rose into the air, puffing around his face and settling in his hair like stardust. For once, Heero regretted his action. Not because he'd hit Wufei, of course, but because it was ten degrees outside and he was wearing a short-sleeved black shirt, which was now soaked from the snow.

He brushed himself off silently and stood, barely noticing the blood on his chin from the rough concrete beneath the winter's white blanket. Firm steps through the snow led him to the deserted street beyond. Heero wasn't surprised; it was expected for the world to be asleep on a snowy Saturday night at three AM.

His gaze turned upwards, gazing at the gray clouds, and he barely noticed the flakes of ice landing serenely on his dark eyelashes.

He barely noticed the car, too.

One extended high-pitched honk was all the warning Heero had, and he immediately jumped back to where the curb used to be. The long out of style black vehicle swerved until it was diagonal in the street. Heero couldn't help but be impressed. Anyone but a very skilled driver would have either hit him, or spun, possibly flipping the car.

The driver jumped out of the car, and Heero's heart stopped.

It was him. Frantic violet eyes, long brown braid, entirely black outfit…It was him.

Unnoticed heavy metal poured out of the black car's stereo as the angel slid toward Heero.

"FUCK, man! You okay?" he asked, looking both concerned and hectic at the same time. Suddenly, his eyes seemed to melt. "I know you…I-KNIFE BOY! Heero! Shit, how you been? Sorry I almost ran you over. You're half covered in snow, so…damn! It's great to see you're okay. Are you okay? I'm so sorry, man." Heero just stared at the angel.

Everything sunk in. Duo was alive, he was real, and he was standing in front of him. Sure, the boy had almost run him over, but…it was _Duo_.

Without another thought, Heero flung his arms around the other boy, holding on for life. The only thing that had kept him alive, through all the orphanages and times discarded by families, through all the looks his scars got in gym class and the worried glances from his teachers, was clutched in his arms.

"Duo," he whispered, and the other boy finally hugged him back, albeit tentatively.

"Yeah, it's me," Duo sighed, and finally hugged back tighter. "You alright? I really didn't mean to almost run you over." Heero smiled a little.

"Of course," he said, the snow still falling down on them.

"Need a ride somewhere?" Duo finally asked, pulling away with a grin. "I mean, it's the least I can do for almost killing you." Heero shook his head.

"I need to go home," he muttered, and Duo frowned.

"And why can't I drive you there…? Whatever, man," he shrugged, black shirt slowly becoming covered with the snow. "So, how's life been treating you? Shitty like me, or just as bad as the next guy?" Heero shrugged, the cold seeping into his bones again.

"Horrible. You?" Heero asked, crossing his arms and rubbing them casually. Duo shook his head, still grinning as always.

"Come on, just let me drive you. You'll freeze your ass off out here," the violet-eyed boy said, and ushered Heero to the old black car. "Meet my baby! It's a lovely 1987 Buick Grand National. Or, in other words, it's an ugly old car that still kicks ass and can move like hell." Duo chuckled, opening the passenger door for the shivering Heero to sit down. The interior was almost disgustingly eighties, and very well-loved, the tangy scent of a black car freshener wafting throughout. Heero couldn't help but notice the miniature scythe also hanging from the rear-view mirror.

"Thank you," Heero finally said when the braided boy slid into the driver's seat, grinning in a way that made him almost uncomfortable. The music was loud, but somehow fit the atmosphere so well it didn't bother the blue-eyed boy.

"No sweat! So, tell me where you wanna go," Duo said, and slammed his door shut. The car turned on relatively normal, but Heero had a lurking suspicion this was going to be one hell of a ride. He quickly gave the directions to the small apartment he shared with Trowa, and that grin returned. "Buckle up." Heero complied quickly.

Duo backed up the car onto the road (its front wheels had been on the sidewalk), and moved forward at a regular pace. But, after five seconds, the turbo kicked in and the car was plowing through the snowy streets at ninety-five miles an hour without any difficulty. Heero looked over at the driver, who was leaning back, grinning and driving with one hand.

"This…is safe?" Heero yelled over the music and engine, and Duo grinned, turning the corner with a pull of the emergency break and a slide across the wet ground.

"Haven't died yet!" Heero frowned. That wasn't very reassuring.

In far too short a time, they arrived at the small building with three apartments in it. Then again, maybe it was too long. Heero was relieved to get out of the car, even though it had been insanely fun. Emphasis on insane, of course. Duo was laughing when he stepped out, and stopped to pat the top of his car affectionately.

And then, they stood staring at each other again. What was there to say? To do?

Still the snow fell, yet whenever Duo was around…there was no temperature, only the warmth of his presence. Heero frowned. He didn't like feeling so different just because one person showed up again. Like usual, he just shrugged it off in his mind, cataloguing that with the rest of the shit in his life.

"Thank you," Heero said again. Duo just smiled.

"No problem, man," he shrugged, stretching his back a little. Then, he pulled out a familiar, curvy knife, almost looking embarrassed. "I…ah, I still have your knives, so…" Without a word, Heero pulled the cross out from under his shirt and over his head. When he tried to give the silver chain to the braided boy shook his head. "Nah, keep it. I got a spare, anyway, and it was a present. I just…it was good to see you're alive." He scratched his head for a moment.

"You've saved me twice now," Heero stated. "I don't like that. I need to give you something back." Duo laughed.

"What, saving my life when I fell through your skylight and thousand dollar knives don't count?" he asked, almost incredulous. "Damn it, Heero, I sold one of those knives for _fifteen hundred dollars_. That money saved my life. I'd say we're even." Heero nodded, and the silence came again, the black of Duo's car turning to a silent gray.

"My life's shit," Heero said finally, and Duo nodded. "It's been shit since I was born, and it always will be. I've attempted suicide twice, and each time I failed because my roommate came home early for no reason. The first time was just overdosing, and the second was slitting my wrists. I get drugs from my best friends, and I don't even bother to go to school anymore." His clear, piercing blue eyes looked straight at the angel. "It was only twice because of you."

Duo crossed the distance between them, violet eyes intense. "My life's shit too. I've lived on the streets since I was born, and everyone I love dies. I'm always running," Duo muttered, and his mouth twisted into a bitter smile. "Fun to be so fucking twisted you don't even notice it, huh?" Heero smirked.

"Come in. I'll get you some…whatever," he said, and with a chuckle Duo followed him into the skinny brick building. The run-down green and plastic stairway led up to the third floor, where Heero and Trowa's meager apartment lay. He easily unlocked the door and stepped in.

The apartment was almost pessimistic in its sparse furnishings. There was a dusty TV, a couch, a coffee table, and a kitchen. In fact, the only non-dusty thing was the microwave and refrigerator. Heero intentionally stayed outside as much as possible. The carpet was an old brown color clearly left from the original 70's décor, and the walls were a pale green nearly reminiscent of a hospital.

Heero flicked the light switch on, and moved towards the fridge. "What do you want?" Duo walked in, and plopped down on the couch, looking down through the shuttered window at the snow below. He sighed.

"I really want something disgustingly fizzy and sweet," Duo said. Smirking, Heero threw him whatever Quatre always drank when he came over. It was in a can, so he figured it couldn't be too illegal. Duo opened it, and swigged. "You ever wonder why the hell we keep going?"

"No," Heero said, grabbing a random can and sitting next to Duo.

"Well, I do," Duo grumbled, and grimaced. "This stuff's nasty. What the hell is it?" Heero shrugged.

"No idea. Trowa's boyfriend stocks our fridge," Heero said, and Duo's eyebrows shot up as he barely caught himself from choking. "What? The fact my roommate's gay shocks you?" Duo chuckled.

"Nah, I just can't imagine you with a gay man's food supply," Duo said, and shrugged. "So, what's your preference?" Heero shrugged.

"Don't know," he stated, and downed his drink. It burned, but he shook his head sharply and the acrid taste left. "I'm going to read the cans from now on." Again, the other boy laughed.

"…So, aside from suicide attempts and drugs, what else do you do?" Duo asked, and Heero shrugged.

"I hack. One of my Room talents," Heero said. "You?" The other boy shrugged.

"I'm a thief," he said simply. "Con man, pickpocket…whatever pays that day. I live alone…well, 'cept Scythe." Heero's eyes asked the question. "My car, man! Come on! We're famous on the street racing circuit." Duo frowned. "Or, we were a few years ago. I kind of gave that up when I got kicked out of my old place." Heero nodded.

"It explains your driving," he said, and Duo gave him a playful punch.

"Shut up. I doubt you could do any better, Mr. Walking Around in Short Sleeves in Winter," Duo grumbled, and suddenly his violet eyes widened, usual cheery face turning to an expression of shock. Heero gave him a confused look.

"What?" Duo's panic quickly dissipated with a half-chuckle, half-sigh.

"Well, I guess that explains some shit," Duo grumbled to himself, and it seemed to Heero the other boy had completely forgotten his presence, and that strange feeling was slowly dissipating. Finally, he looked back up, smiling regretfully. "Sorry, babe. I'm gonna go now." Duo stood, and Heero panicked.

He was leaving again. He was leaving again, and Heero would be alone again. What could he say? What could he do? He didn't want to be alone again…

"Don't go," Heero said desperately, and Duo turned with a sigh, violet eyes cold.

"You don't get it, do you? You're life's just as shitty as mine, but you're still…_innocent_, damn it! How the…" he sighed, and shook his head. "_Fuck_."

He suddenly strode forward, and pulled Heero to his feet. Normally, he would have punched whoever did that, but there was the damned eternal Duo Exception. Without a moment's hesitation, the braided boy planted his lips on Heero's, whose eyes shot open. It lasted for only an instant, and then the black-clad boy backed away, looking both giddy and embarrassed.

"Eh…I'll see you around," Duo said, backing towards the door as a blush crept up onto his cheeks. "Take my advice, and clean up. I don't wanna lose another…friend." He opened the doorknob behind him. "So…uh…bye, Heero." He slipped out the door, and the utterly shocked Heero just stared at where Duo had been standing. He heard the engine, and the rough sound of snow ripped apart by tires as Duo drove off with reckless abandon.

The last psychiatrist had claimed Heero had extreme reactions to extreme stimuli because of his seven years of sensory depravation in the Room. The last doctor had said Heero had a bizarre blood cell count, giving him momentary hypoglycemia, which made him faint at seemingly random times. That doctor had been quickly replaced by another, who'd said he was an incurable case.

Then, the family had kicked him out, and Heero had been left to the government, who didn't spend their money on little orphan experiments.

So, in other words, Trowa found Heero unconscious on the floor, eyes rolled into the top of his head, for no reason.

----

I'd just like to point out this chapter's intentionally choppy, since Heero's half drunk.

And I'm sorry to say I won't be doing reader responses on this story. Apologies.


	3. A Slowly Shattering Pane

This one's more 2x1 than 1x2x1, but hey. It's all good.

Next chapter will take lots longer, but hopefully it'll be worth it. I edit at least 3 times bare minimum on BR, as opposed to my usual 1 to 2 for every other story.

An important note: Eventually, you will see citrus-citrus in here (I'll post a link to it), and, more importantly, a _horrendous_ plot twist. Be forewarned. As said in every chapter, it's an AU.

Warnings: See other chapters for general. Relena-harsh. Un-beta'd. Non-fanon Wufei (i.e. no nosebleeds). AU.

Black Reflection

Chapter 3

A Slowly Shattered Pane

It was Heero Yuy's eighteenth birthday, and he had never before wanted to kill himself as much as on that day.

Which, considering the horrible life he'd had and the fact he'd already actually attempted suicide two times, was saying a lot. He slouched in another plastic classroom at Detox High (or, more appropriately, St. Nicholas of Myra Academy), head against the wall, rolling his pencil up and down, up and down, up and down the wooden desk, the teacher droning on about whatever war they were learning about now.

Every student at Detox High had the same hungry, lost look in their eyes, save Trowa and Quatre. Wufei had it, just as Heero did, staring out windows, at their books, at the board, at whatever moved. Being clean for the first time in their lives was never anyone's idea of fun.

Excluding Quatre, of course. Heir to the Winner fortune, his New Year resolution had been to get his friends clean. So, he'd used his connections and drastic wealth to enroll the four of them into St. Nicholas of Myra Academy, a school made for drug and alcohol addicts with rich parents who wanted them to stop disgracing their family names.

Everything was quieted down before it got out of the gates, there were ten-foot walls surrounding the complex's dorms and buildings, and everyone wore the same outfit. Girls wore plaid skirts, light blue shirts, and a yellow sweater if it was cold. Boys wore dark blue pants, light blue shirts, and if it was cold a yellow coat or blazer.

Heero would rather die than wear the bright yellow jacket that haunted other boys' shoulders. So occasionally he nearly froze to death, but it was better than wearing the vibrant yellow annoyance in his opinion.

All the while, the teacher droned on, trying to keep the mutually addicted student body mildly interested, and Heero rolled his pencil up and down, up and down, up and down…

"Yuy! Please stop that infernal racket," the teacher suddenly snapped, slamming the tome of useless ancient facts together with a crack. All the students but Wufei (who sat in front of Heero, asleep) and Heero jumped at the sound. Heero just glared at the man in the tweed blazer, who glared right back, a sneer added to his expression. The teachers at Detox weren't paid to be friendly. "Oh, by the way, happy birthday Mr. Yuy." The girls gasped, the boys grunted, and Wufei snored lightly. "How about a round of Happy Birthday To You?" The girls most out of withdrawal clapped, excited.

"Haapy Biirrthdaay-" 

The bell rang, snapping Wufei up with a jolt, and Heero grabbed his one lonely book to make his way out of the room, but not before the non-withdrawal girls started towards him, that Look in their eyes. Fear strangled him, and he bolted out the door, the girls' mutually disappointed groans following him into the hall. He ran out into the spring air, not stopping until he was squished up against a wall with a grove of trees between him and humanity.

A chuckle above him turned angry blue eyes up to the tree, where a figure lounged, lazily flicking something shiny up and down, up and down, up and down-

"Hey." The figure's voice was familiar, but he couldn't place it. "You clean now?" Heero couldn't help it- he snorted at the absurdity of it all. To be clean and feeling worse than when he wasn't, to try and hide only to intrude on someone else, to be stuck in a personal hell so that Trowa and Quatre could be in a public heaven… "Oi! Heero! Snap out of it!"

The voice clicked. His eyes widened, his entire body shivered, his heart suddenly tried to pound out a techno beat, and a quiet smile formed on his lips. One word said it all.

"Duo."

The figure chuckled, and out dropped a uniformed angel, yellow blazer and all. He grinned, violet eyes sparkling in the shadows. "Told you I'd see you around," he said, deceptively cheery. Shadows wove around his eyes, and his hair had lots nearly all of its sheen. "Life still shitty?" Duo let himself fall against the wall, sighing in the process as his body hit the ground. Heero joined him on the wall, choosing to lean against it instead.

"Is it ever anything else?" he muttered, and Duo laughed again. He liked the sound.

"Not that I've seen! So, how's the school here, now that I'm enrolled and all that crap?" Duo asked, and Heero shrugged.

"Like every other school. Boring, overly social, and worthless," he said truthfully, and Duo nodded. A comfortable silence took up the air.

"I'm your roommate now," Duo said casually, and Heero blinked. That was…unexpected. "I can change, if you want. I mean, if you're not comfortable or something with it, which I'd completely be okay-"

"Duo."

The violet-eyed boy immediately shut up and started to absentmindedly tug on his braid, toes scrunching and unscrunching in the same brown dress shoes that went with every other boy in Detox High. Heero sighed.

"I'm fine with it," he said slowly, and violet eyes snapped up at him, grinning for his gaping mouth. Heero shifted, uncomfortable with his next irreversible statement. "With…all of it." If it was possible, Duo's mouth was even wider. Finally, he shook his head violently, shaking his expression off and rising to stare straight into Heero's eyes.

"So, you're okay with the fact that I think you were a sex god in a past life and want to lick you into a quivering puddle of lust?" Duo said, voice low as he grinned dangerously. Heero barely kept from shivering again, heat pouring through his body. He cleared his throat, very aware of the fact that the boy standing in front of him was capable of flustering him more than any other human on the planet.

"Maybe," he said, and nearly glared at how it came out as a low, needy whisper. Duo inched forward.

"I heard it was your birthday," he murmured, eyes terrifyingly bright. "Want a present?"

Heero smirked. "What ki-"

"HEEEEROOOOO," a girl's voice echoed inside the enclosure, and as Heero jumped back, Duo jumped at the same time.

"Who imported a banshee?" Duo hissed while Heero looked around angrily. A student was running towards them, skirt billowing in her haste to reach the tree. He didn't even have to wonder how she knew where they hid; she was born with a biological Heero tracker.

"Not a banshee- Relena," he stated coldly, and Duo nodded. "She's…attentive." Duo chuckled knowingly.

"Got it. I've gotta go finish all the paperwork, anyway. See you later," Duo said, waving as he began to walk off. Or, at least, attempted to. Heero suddenly had a steel grip on his wrist.

"How much later?" he whispered, and Duo's haphazard grin faltered for a moment.

"I have to go, Heero," he said softly, and another ear splitting yell came from the school building. Duo tried to jerk away, but Heero's grip was immoveable.

"How much later?" he snapped. Blue eyes fierce, he stared Duo down. "I won't let you run if you don't come back, Duo. How Much Later?" Duo glared, and suddenly one of the very knives Heero had given the longhaired boy was dangerously close to his throat.

"Alright, Heero," Duo snarled. "How about this? You don't control me, no matter how much you want to. Now let go." Heero glared, and the knife pressed closer. "Let. Go." Neither moved, eyes fiercely intent on the other's.

"You know I can kill you," Heero said coolly. "Just like you could kill me, and I'm not flinching. Now tell me when." Duo's violet eyes hesitated. "…Please."

"HEEEEROOOOOO," Relena's voice carried over the conflict, dangerously near. Heero dropped Duo's arm, and the other boy jumped back, quickly resheathing the knife.

"Two, in our room," Duo said quickly, and ran off in a flurry of brown and blue.

Heero's eyes closed of their own accord as he breathed in deeply. Even when Duo had held the knife to his throat, he'd been…whole, was the only phrase he could think of, as stupid as it sounded. Or maybe calmed.

Then again, he'd never had any true fears. Living almost his entire life with the knowledge of how to kill without a second thought had warped him, he knew. Hell, how could he not know? Therapist after therapist had needed therapy of their own after dealing with him.

His musings were cut off when a girl slammed into him, sending them both sprawled onto the ground. "Heero! I knew I'd find you here," she beamed, not at all inclined to get off him. "Were you talking to someone?"

"Yes," Heero stated, pushing her off and standing up with as much dignity as he could muster. "Go away."

Relena blinked at him, then chuckled. "Oh, Heero, you can't be serious. Whoever you were talking to isn't here anymore, so there's no need to be embarrassed."

He frowned. "Embarrassed about what?"

Her smile was a cross between shy and devilish. "How we…feel about each other." Relena's cornflower blue eyes lit up in a way he knew had to be bad. And when she licked her lips, that smile turning hopeful, every warning bell in his system went off.

Experience told him she'd never listen to the word "no". It also told him that trying to fight Relena would be taken as an open invitation to molest him. So, Heero did what he saw as the only way out, and tore back into the building, her anguished cry of "HEEROOO!" following his feet as they rushed towards the room he now shared with Duo.

But, when he strode into the room, it looked exactly the same, aside from a single black duffle bag stuffed into the corner. Frowning, Heero checked his watch. It was only 1 PM. Resigning himself to an hour-long wait, he lay down on his bed, mind still swirling with Duo.

Just the fact Duo was somewhere nearby felt…intoxicating. And he wasn't exactly sure he liked that. He couldn't even really name the feeling, either. It was…it was…Heero frowned, trying to find the right word. It was like that feeling he got after figuring something really hard out. No, that was too simple. It was more like spring morning sunlight's subtle kiss on a grassy field while he simply sat with his friends, the clouds gliding past-

"YUY!"

Heero jerked up, the feeling evaporating as Wufei pounded on his door.

"YUY! Let me in!"

Glaring, Heero yanked it open, only to have Wufei's fist slam into his forehead instead of the door. Wufei blinked at him, the dark circles under his eyes making his shell-shocked expression reminiscent of a startled kitten.

"You're actually here," Wufei stated, and Heero's glare hardened.

"Where else would I be?"

Wufei snorted, walking past Heero and settling on the other- no, Duo's bed. "You tell _me_."

Heero shook his head slightly as his friend became entirely too comfortable on Duo's bed. The clock told him he'd managed to pass twenty minutes simply trying to name a foreign emotion. Now was NOT the time to put up with Wufei's cryptic remarks and blunt opinions. "I don't have the time for this."

Wufei snorted. "What, you have company?"

For some reason, he hesitated. Something was itching in the back of Heero's head, but he ignored it. The sooner Wufei knew, the sooner he'd leave. "Yes," Heero stated, reopening the door as his friend's surprised expression slammed back on. "Now get out."

A strange look crossed Wufei's face, yet another emotion Heero couldn't put a name to. "Heero-" he began, then seemed to think the better of it, quickly rising to his feet and nodding curtly. "I'll be in the library."

"Thank you," Heero said, and with another nod Wufei was out the door, closing it politely behind him.

As the door clicked shut, a soft exhale of breath erupted from his tiny bathroom. A moment later, a weary Duo stepped out, bittersweet smile etched on his breathtaking face.

"Hey, Heero?" he asked.

"Yes?"

Duo sighed. "Will you do me a favor and…and not tell anyone you've seen me?"

Heero frowned. "Why?" He'd never been one to agree to things without thoroughly examining the request, regardless of who it came from.

Duo fell onto Heero's bed, arms splayed out as if crucified. "Lots of reasons. Mostly for safety- both of ours." Heero's frown deepened as Duo continued on. "See, I'm probably not going to be in any of your classes, and you won't be in any of mine, and, well…I don't think dear Wuffy would be very happy to hear about me." He sat up, intense eyes almost hypnotic. "I don't want to get you in trouble, Heero, but…I'd like to stick around, if you don't mind. So promise me you won't talk about me to anyone." He paused, seeing the indecision in Heero's eyes. "Please, Heero. This is important."

Part of Heero was screaming out in agreement, that having Duo back would be worth anything, that it was such a little thing, not even a lie, only omission. Such a little thing…

But another part whispered Caution to him, insinuating the hidden moments everyone in the world had, and that Duo must have them too, regardless of what and how he felt around him.

"I promise," he found himself saying in the end, and an almost heartbreakingly beautiful smile bloomed on Duo's face.

And then somehow Duo was so blissfully close, his fingers a breath away from Heero's lips, violet eyes strangely soft, his other hand ghosting across the air near the blue-eyed boy's waist. Heero found himself shivering, although he was far from cold.

"Do you trust me, Heero?" His breath was so close he could feel the words in his soul, those teasingly close fingertips still gliding around him. It was so hard to think… "Don't think, Heero. Answer." He leaned forward, and Heero's neck burned from the closeness of those lips. "Do you trust me?"

Did he? No. "I don't trust anyone."

A husky chucked rolled across his skin, and the shivers and heat were back, multiplying through his body. "Smart of you," Duo whispered. "Good."

And the barrier shattered like delicate glass as Duo finally touched him, lips crashing down onto his neck, almost tenderly nipping below his light blue collar as his right hand finally gripped his waist. The hand slipped down to his hip, and Heero shuddered. Fire was searing his mind, his skin, his blood. Duo's other hand splayed around the nape of his neck, sliding around and down to his chest, Duo's sinfully perfect lips gliding to below his ear, right on the jawline. Heero couldn't help it- he moaned, head rolling back to allow Duo more room to maneuver- room he took without hesitation, driving him mad.

And suddenly he was against the wall, and Duo was wrapped around him, their lips pressed together as Duo's clever fingers worked on the tiny buttons of his shirt, Heero's hand caught in that gloriously tangled waterfall of chestnut silk, barely clinging to the form of a braid. His other fingers soared across Duo's shoulders, feeling the wiry strength in his muscles. He was being consumed by the heat, the fire, and in a single blinding moment he KNEW-

Duo lurched away from him, pulling back like he'd been electrocuted, panting and disheveled.

There was something wrong. Something…something…

"I shouldn't have done that," Duo finally got out, voice hoarse. "I-" His voice cut off as their eyes met again. Those slender, hard shoulders slumped. "I'm going to take a shower." Without another word, he turned back towards the smaller room.

"I…" Heero began, and Duo froze. What was he going to say? His thoughts were so jumbled, so heavy in his still-hazy mind.

Start from the beginning, something in his mind whispered. The beginning of what…his thoughts? Yes, that was right. Start from the beginning. Start with the truth.

The truth. He was still out of breath, and his voice was still a timid, shaking mass of emotion. "I didn't want you to stop…"

"That's why I had to," Duo whispered, and opened the hall door instead of the bathroom. "Take a shower. I'll be back tonight." A soft smile formed on his lips. "Happy birthday, Heero." He stepped through, not looking back.

Heero stepped forward. "Duo, wait-" But the door shut, and when he wrenched it open there was no sign the other boy had even been there.

For an unknown period of time, Heero stared at the empty doorway, and the empty hall, and the empty space which HAD to have Duo in it…eventually. And as soon as he came into view, Heero wanted to see, to see if he was smiling or frowning, laughing or lethal.

Eventually, he found himself in the shower, door shut and scrubbing for the life of him, half-tempted to brutally shear his unruly brown locks, but instead he washed them, and washed them, and washed them, stepping out of the shower red and raw. Nothing his half-empty bottle of lotion wouldn't fix. Numb, he rubbed it on and dressed again, glancing at a clock on the vanity. Four thirty.

It wasn't even close to sundown. And Duo had said he'd be back 'tonight', after all…

Heero didn't even realize he'd moved until he was standing in front of the library's circulation desk, inquiring as to where Wufei was. The librarian quickly pointed him towards a random corner, and Heero headed off.

As expected, Wufei was sitting in an armchair with a nonfiction book in his hands. Apparently today he was studying for psychology and a bit of biology, an involved frown etched onto his forehead, his big, thin reading glasses slowly sliding down his nose. When Heero sat down in the nearby wooden chair, Wufei simply glanced up and nodded, returning to his book.

Several minutes passed, until Wufei slowly slid his precious leather bookmark in and closed the tome, setting it aside and staring straight at Heero. "Talk."

"What do you mean?" It was a feeble attempt at normalcy, Heero knew, and so did Wufei, snorting at the effort.

"You smell like lotion, you look like shit, and you actually kicked me out for a 'guest'. Now stop being stoic and ask for advice," Wufei frowned.

You just promised, that little voice in Heero whispered. You promised to say nothing about Duo. Are you going to break that already?

"I'm…confused," Heero said broadly, trying to hedge around Duo. A single black eyebrow rose in expectation, but his mouth remained shut. Wufei sighed.

"Is this about your cross?" Wufei was almost as perceptive about his emotions as Quatre, although they both had completely different methods. Quatre understood through empathy. Wufei understood by slashing through all the bullshit to the raw, feeble truth.

"No." Heero shook his head. "It's still safe." He had no idea what had happened to Duo's cross- it had disappeared two months ago, and to the surprise of his friends he had simply accepted its loss, an undeniable feeling of the object's safety residing in his thoughts.

"Then it's about your 'company'." Wufei said, making annoying quotation marks in the air- one of the quirks Heero didn't judge worth fighting over.

"Yes," Heero snapped.

"He or she?"

Heero glared, and Wufei rolled his eyes. "Fine. You're confused about what, sex? Want a manual?" As his glare intensified, Wufei smirked. "So it's the relationship and not the sex then." Heero simply nodded, and Wufei shifted in his chair, cracking his neck efficiently. "Then I need details."

Heero would have sighed in defeat if he hadn't spied Trowa and Quatre, the inseparable pair, come in to the library, Quatre's arms stacked with books as a terribly amused Trowa followed closely, picking up randomly dropped novels.

"They're distracted. Talk."

Wufei's voice snapped him back, and Heero shook his head, standing up smoothly. "He wouldn't like it if I did," he said, quite possibly the first time he'd ever said anything absentmindedly, striding past the ignorant happy couple and back to his room.

Time passed. Five turned to six, and he ate dinner in the cafeteria with a silent Wufei, still reading psychology books with reckless abandon. Six turned to seven, and Heero found himself staring at his door for an hour. Seven turned to eight, and he made himself do some homework, constantly checking the door. Eight turned to nine, nine to ten, ten to eleven, and he was back in the shower, rubbing and scrubbing and washing himself red. As eleven turned to twelve, he stepped back out of the bathroom to see a half-naked Duo stretched out in Heero's bed.

"It's about time you got out of there," Duo muttered, a strangely nervous grin on his lips as he held out a hand to the shocked Heero Yuy. With a moment of hesitation, Heero put his hand in Duo's, and was comfortingly pulled into bed. Duo's arms wrapped around him, and his head rested in the crook of Heero's neck. A soft, contented sound breathed out of the boy with the long brown braid when Heero's arms encircled him in return. "Would this be a bad time to tell you I'm only here because you are?"

"No," Heero managed to say, sleep coming far too easily, and far too fast. He wanted to savor this, not go unconscious…!

Duo snuggled closer, if it was possible. "Just go to sleep, Heero. I'll be here when you wake up. I promise."

And as Heero's eyes slid shut, his lips slid open into a small, contented smile that lasted through the night.

----

Come on, as a group… "Awww!"

Intentionally gets befuddled/fast/jumpy.

You know, I'll just take this moment to say that EVERYTHING in this fic is intentional. If it's not perfect, it's there for a reason. Thank you.

Thank you to all my lovely reviewers! I really appreciate them!


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